Reset Your Password

Great Ideas for Quick, Easy Fixes That Will Help Your Home Sell

How
to Make Your Home's Entrance Enticing

Curb
appeal is vital if you want your home to sell quickly for a good price. To
create that enticing look, you don't necessarily have to undertake extensive
landscaping or major fixes to the exterior of the building. Instead, you could
just concentrate on the entrance to your house.

Lead them in

You
want to do everything you can to lead your guests (and potential buyers) into
your home. Make it clear where the entrance is by emphasizing it, using some of
the techniques in this article.

Accessorize

Make
sure all your door hardware (the door knocker, handle and hinges) are new or
look new. You can buy matching hardware cheaply. Alternatively, give what you
already have a good polish. Invest in a new house number and mailbox that
complement the rest of your hardware.

The door

Make
sure the door looks bright and fresh. Paint it to match the rest of the trim on
your house and keep it clean of dirty rain splashes.

Steps and railings

If
there are steps up to your home, make sure they are well kept and safe. Check
metal railings for rust and make sure they stay firm when visitors hold them.

Plants

Use
containers or hanging baskets to mark the way to your home. They are easy to
maintain and provide a splash of color. Try placing one container or basket on
either side of the door to frame the entrance.

Lighting

Consider
adding attractive lights to emphasize the entrance and make it more attractive
at night.

Add a chair

If
you have space, place an attractive chair near the entrance. It gives the
impression your home provides a relaxing place to sit and rest.

Don't forget a welcome mat

As
a finishing touch, put a new mat outside the door.

How to Create a Beautiful Focal Point
for Your Room

Having
a focal point is critical if you want to create a room that feels comfortable
and useable. And when you're selling your house, you'll make the room more
attractive to buyers because they'll feel more at home when there's a focal
point for them to rest their eyes on.

Some
rooms have natural focal points, such as a fireplace, architectural details or
a picture window with a view.

Ways to create a focal point

But
if your room has none of these, you could try placing a large piece of
furniture such as an armoire or a tall bookcase along one wall, using an ornate
mirror or large painting, or adding a table with your favorite ornaments or
mementoes arranged on it.

If
you have a large, flat-screen television, this might make a suitable focal
point, but many people prefer not to make a TV the center of attention, as it
can look unattractive when switched off.

The
focal point doesn't have to be on the wall — a large area rug placed under a
coffee table can also work well.

A
fireplace is perhaps the best focal point in a living room. To accent it
further, place a painting or mirror above the hearth.

In
a bedroom, place the bed along the longest wall; add attractive bedding and a
well-designed headboard.

All
furniture in a room should be arranged around the focal point, helping draw
your eyes to the right place. It's almost as if you are "framing"
your focal point with the furniture and other decorations in your room.

6 Ways to Create an
Attractive Home Office

A
home office is on its way to becoming an essential item on a house buyer's wish
list. After all, many people work at least part of the time at home — and even
if they don't, they still want somewhere to store the computer and their
household papers.

Here
are some tips to help you create an attractive home office that you'll actually
want to spend time in.

An attractive place to work

A
home office doesn't have to be just functional — it can be attractive, too. So
take as much care with the décor as you would in the other rooms in your house,
making sure office furniture and accessories coordinate with wall and floor
coverings.

Good lighting

If
you don't have a lot of natural light (or you'll be working mainly in the
evenings), make sure you have good lighting, particularly task lights for
illuminating your desk. Include other types of lighting too, so you'll make the
room feel comfortable.

Choose good furniture

It's
essential that your desk and chair are comfortable to work at, so take time
choosing them. Make sure the seat and backrest of your chair are adjustable and
that the height of your desk is comfortable.

Power and the Internet

Make
sure there are plenty of power outlets in the room and easy Internet access.
Avoid a "rat's nest" of cables by bundling them together and tucking
them out of sight.

Include good storage

Think
carefully about the kind of storage you'll need and make sure there's enough of
it. Consider stackable boxes to store paperwork efficiently, and an attractive
filing cabinet. Put shelves on the walls and use them to store books; add wire
baskets to the shelves for documents.

Bulletin board

Put
up a bulletin board for reminders and other essential information you use every
day. Then you'll avoid ugly sticky notes all over your computer.

How to Use Lighting to Make
Your Home More Attractive

If you plan to sell your home, you can make your
interiors and exteriors shine by improving the lighting. Here’s how.

Drapes and shades

Natural light works best during the day. So make sure to open all drapes
and shades to let in the sunlight.

Highlighting

Put emphasis on the room's focal points, such as an
alcove or artwork, by using lighting. Use task lighting in such spaces.

Exterior areas

The driveway and other such areas can be lit with the
help of low-voltage string lights.

Doorway lamps

You can greatly enhance the curb appeal of your home
by placing interesting lamps on your porch.

Security lights

Lighting placed around your house needs to be high up to ensure enough
light is spread. Try using bright lights for the exteriors.

Shining out

Lighting which accentuates the interior of your home
should also be visible from the outside. Use lighting to add a feeling of
warmth and grace to a room before people even come into your house.

Mood and theme

If your home is chic and modern, try using a clean and
simple lighting design. For more classic styles, use ornate lighting, such as
chandeliers.

LED lighting usages

New to the market, LED lights work best for the
kitchen, bathroom and other functional areas.

How to Make Your Bathroom Look Spacious

It is no
secret that one of the key things people look at when they are buying a house
is the bathroom. That is why it is so important to make your bathroom look as
big, beautiful and up-to-date as possible. Unfortunately, many bathrooms these
days are quite small, but there are ways of making them appear sleeker and
larger.

Fixtures and cabinetry

One thing
that can help is to install fixtures that are as high-tech and as contemporary
as possible. Their streamlined appearance can give a bathroom a more spacious
appearance.

Another way
to make a bathroom appear larger is to remove all bulky cabinetry. For
instance, if you have a sink that is encased in a big clunky cabinet, you can
remove it and get a freestanding sink.

Buying
fixtures that are smaller than usual can also make the bathroom look bigger.

Toilets, bathtubs and showers

You can buy
toilets nowadays that are very narrow and sit close against the wall.

You can also
buy “tankless” toilets that situate the tank on a pipe high above the actual
seat.

Old-fashioned
bathtubs can also take up a lot of room in a small bathroom.

One solution
might be to rip out a large bathtub and replace it with "a newer, smaller
one — or, have a bathroom with just a shower stall.

Redoing the
floor in stone and having an open shower with a glass stall can also make a
smaller bathroom look more luxurious and spacious.

Colors

Yet another
way to keep the bathroom looking spacious is to avoid painting it in dark
colors — keep the walls and shelving as pale in color as possible.

Easy Ways to Give Your Bathroom a
Fresh New Look

The
bathroom might be one of the smallest rooms, but it's one of the most important
if you're selling our home. Here are some quick tips to freshen up your
bathroom to give yourself a space you enjoy relaxing in, whether you are moving
or not.

Clutter

Bathrooms
attract a lot of bottles and jars that create clutter. By putting them in a
closet or throwing away those you haven't used for a long time, you'll
immediately make your room look more spacious.

Fixtures and fittings

It's
not as expensive to replace bathroom fixtures, such as the toilet, as you
think. Putting in more modern fixtures will immediately bring your bathroom up
to date. The same goes for towel rails, mirrors and other hardware. Try
replacing them with a matching set to unify the look of your bathroom.

Ceramic tiles

The
caulking between tiles gets very dirty. Clean it - and you'll immediately make
your bathroom fresher.

Flooring

A
big turn-off for many house-buyers is carpet in the bathroom. If you replace it
with a more washable surface, you'll have a much cleaner-looking room.

Towels and shower curtain

Replace
your towels with a new, fluffy matching set and keep an inviting pile waiting
on a shelf or in a closet. And replace your shower curtain for a new one that
matches the décor.

Paint

Freshen
up the room by giving it a coat of light, neutral-colored paint.

How Summer Container Plants Will Help
Sell Your House

Container
plants are an easy way to give immediate visual impact to your home, creating
that important curb appeal - the "wow" factor as potential buyers
pull up outside. Here are some important tips to make sure you use containers
effectively.

Use big containers

Don't
be afraid of using big, bold containers. They will have much more impact and
will be easier to care for because they won't dry out so easily. Smaller
containers tend to get lost in the landscaping, so you'll lose the visual
impact you're trying to achieve.

Use quality containers

Avoid
plastic containers, as these can look cheap. Terracotta, wrought iron, or zinc
containers look great. Choose a container that complements your house and the
rest of your landscaping. For example, if you have iron detailing, find a
matching container; if you have brick paving, a terracotta pot might look good
next to it.

Fill them with plants

For
immediate results, fill your containers with more plants than you normally
would. Otherwise, you will be forced to wait for the plants to grow before your
container will look lush and healthy.

Feed your plants

Make
sure you keep your containers well maintained by watering and feeding the
plants regularly. You want buyers to think the containers are always there, not
just a quick fix.

Quick Fixes for a
Great-Looking Kitchen

Cabinet Doors

Damaged
or dirty cabinet doors are a big turn-off for buyers. But that's easy to fix.
Most cabinetry can be re-painted after cleaning it and applying a coat of
primer. Just check that the materials can take paint or whether you need to
give any special preparation to the doors first. Alternatively, you can just
replace the doors. There are companies that provide doors to fit existing
kitchen cabinets.

Hardware

Another
way to fix up cabinets is to replace the hardware, perhaps changing out-of-date
fixtures for sleek, modern ones. This is a very cheap and easy way to update
your kitchen.

Sinks and faucets

Try
trading your faucets for more modern designs and replacing a damaged or very
dirty sink.

Appliances

People
love modern stainless steel appliances. It could be a good investment to
upgrade your appliances to the most modern designs to give your kitchen the
'wow' factor.

Backsplash

An
easy way to update your kitchen is to replace the backsplash. Subway or mosaic
tiles or a sheet of stainless steel are very popular right now, and this quick
change can really lift the feel of the room.

Flooring

Dairy,
tired linoleum floors will turn off buyers. Try updating with tough laminate
flooring or some tiles that tie into the rest of the kitchen.

Paint

Change
the décor easily by repainting in fresh, modern, neutral colors. A coat of
paint can be a very cheap way to refresh the look of your kitchen.

Clutter

Just
by simply removing the clutter that accumulates on your countertops, you can
freshen up your kitchen. Throw out things you don't need; put away others you
use only occasionally.

How to Turn Your Patio
Into an Outdoor Room

Whether
you are thinking of moving to a new home or just want to improve your living
environment, there are many things you can do to turn a drab patio or deck into
another room.

If
you are putting your house on the market, turning this space into another room
will help visitors see the potential of
your house.

The
key is to make your outdoor room look as inviting as possible. So think about
it just as you would any other room in your house.

This
means you should invest in furniture that will give a feeling of luxury,
turning your patio into a place of relaxation. Group your furniture, just as
you would indoors. Invest in comfortable furniture, such as a chaise lounge.

Colors and materials

Try
to complement the décor inside your house by using similar colors and
materials. If, for example, you have a wooden floor inside, try to make it look
as if the floor extends outside by using similar materials. Use your choice of
furniture to pick up colors you've used inside and bring them outside.

Lighting

There
are many low-cost options for lighting outdoors, such as battery-operated
lights or torches. Then you'll be able to extend the use of your outdoor room
into the night.

Clean it up

Scrub
the paving, perhaps using a power washer, and scrub the decking to make it look
like new again.

How to Make Your Home Appear Much Bigger

One
thing that most buyers are looking for is space. They want to know they're
going to have room for everything (and everyone) and they're not going to grow
out of their house too quickly. So here are some ways to make your house seem
bigger than it really is.

Get rid of clutter

This
is probably the most important secret to increasing the illusion of space.
Remove items you don't need from surfaces, particularly in the kitchen. Keep
shelves tidy and not stuffed with books and ornaments.

Paint the walls

Use
white or neutral colors to make rooms appear light and spacious. Use tones of a
neutral color such as brown or gray to avoid visual clutter and make your décor
feel more harmonious.

Consider off-site storage

If
you're running out of room for your possessions, move some of them into a
storage unit while your house is on the market. Alternatively, have a yard sale
to get rid of unwanted items — or donate them to charity. Otherwise, your house
might look as if it's not spacious enough for a family.

Remove some furniture

Potential
buyers need to be able to walk around your house without bumping into chairs
and tables. Put some furniture into storage until you move. Leave a path
through your rooms that buyers can walk through.

Organize closets

Make
sure you've tidied your closets. Invest in an organizing system, if necessary.
Remove clothing that you're not likely to wear from your closets.

Clean up the garage

People
want to know they can fit a car (or two) in the garage and still have room for
storing their possessions. So clear out your garage and neatly organize
everything that must stay in there.

Mirrors and drapes

Place
mirrors in strategic places and remove fussy window treatments to enhance the
illusion of space.

Some of the listing information contained herein has been provided by WCARMLS.

Data provided by Columbia Greene Northern Dutchess MLS Inc.

All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal.
Neither broker(s), agent(s) nor WhereToLive.com, Inc. shall be responsible for any typographical errors,
misinformation or misprints, and shall be held totally harmless.